Be Dusty

I am reading through a book with my church as we all seek to grow closer to Jesus. As an author myself I have what is probably a more than usual tendency to read the prologue of a book. To me a prologue conveys an introduction to the book’s message or story written by the author. It gives a framework for why the author wrote whatever the message of the book is intended to convey. So as I read through the prologue of the book we are studying I saw a small quote that, when read, packed a big message. The quote was  a first century Jewish blessing stating “May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi”

It struck me with interest and so I began to pray and ask God what it meant. Wow! What a few little words can convey. I felt the Lord speak to my heart and say that while we know He calls us to follow Him there is a particular way in which He wants us to do so. As I prayed I realized that to me follow has always meant to walk behind but when I read those words I realized that I had assumed it was to walk at a pace where I was lagging just enough to see what direction my leader was going, which is certainly not close enough that His dust would cover me. So I asked the Lord to tell me how He saw this message.

Over the next few hours I felt Him say that He desires us to follow so closely that the dust He stirs up doesn’t even have the chance to land. It’s not just about how quickly we follow Him though it is part of it. I believe He does want us to hear and obey without hesitation or fear of man etc. I also believe, however, that it means He is inviting us to follow so closely that we don’t stand off to the side of what He is doing but rather that we are experiencing it close up, intimately and as one who is being called to witness, learn and do these same things.

He is giving us a ring side seat to what He is doing in the Earth! Have you ever attended a concert or other event where you got front row seats or back stage passes etc? How exciting was it to have a unique view where you could take in a bigger picture of the event? How did it add to your experience of it? Jesus is offering something even better! He is offering a spot so close to Him that His Holy Spirit will fall upon you and flow through you to change lives! His heart is for us to know Him in such depth that we move when He moves and we love how He loves! We are so close that we are intricately woven together in the covenant He has provided.

“Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.”

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭11‬:‭32‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

As I have pondered all this over the past few days I realized that my heart yearns to be dusty!